Junot Diaz and the Theme of Fuku

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The Rise and fall of the De León-Cabrals In a country filled with many mysteries, tall tales, and hushed secrets, it’s no question that every Dominican family has a least one story about a curse or a paranormal events. Such tales have been in Dominican oral history for years, and it’s become absolutely inscribed in the culture. No one ever speaks of the cause of all of these mysteries and bizarre events. Some might possibly say that it’s because of the Haitians and their vodou, but what has caused chaos and unfortunate events in every Dominicano’s life since its arrival has been fukú. It’s come in many forms: Spaniards, hurricanes, horrible presidents, genocide. In the novel of the Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Trujillo is fukú on both the De León-Cabral family and the Dominican Republic. The Cabral family used to have what Dominicans would call la buena vida. They were very well off; were numbered among the most prestigious of the land. They spent their vacations in Puerto Plata, a city with some of the country’s most beautiful beaches (not as beautiful as Punta Cana, but still breath taking). They had all the good perks: five full time servants, ate rich foods like pastas and sweet Italian sausages, had “prosperous supermarkets, a cement factory, and fincas in the Septrionales” (p. 213) and were lucky enough to have better accommodations than the rest of the country. But the family’s forever lasting fukú began with Abelard and the “bad thing he said about Trujillo” (p. 211). Had Abelard not fucked around with Trujillo, and had he pleased the Failed Cattle Chief’s latest sexual capricho with his daughter Jacquelyn, then the Cabral-De Leon family wouldn’t have had such an unfortunate ending. After Abelard refused to comply with the orders, he was charged with “Slander and calumny

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